The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), jointly with the leading healthcare providers in the country, has announced details of a public awareness campaign to educate the public about mental health and to remove the stigma associated with mental health conditions.

The campaign will commence on October 10, the World Mental Health Day, and see collaborative efforts between the Ministry and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), Sidra Medicine, and Naufar.

Chair of the National Taskforce for Mental Health and Wellbeing and Chief of the Continuing Care Group at HMC, Mahmoud Saleh Al Raisi, explained that raising awareness about mental health and wellbeing is of enormous importance and is one of the seven priority areas outlined in Qatar’s National Health Strategy.

The Ministry of Public Health along with Qatar's leading healthcare providershas launched a public awareness campaign to educate the public about mental health and to remove the stigma associated with mental health conditions. #QNA pic.twitter.com/EmTuwdH7rO

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) October 8, 2019

“Across the world, increasingly, more is being done to raise awareness of mental health issues. In Qatar, we want to go further as recent research suggests that one in five people in Qatar will be affected by a mental illness at any given point in time," he underlined.

Deputy National Lead for Mental Health and Wellbeing and Executive Director of Operations, PHCC, Dr Samya Ahmad Al Abdulla, explained that mental health is about “the way we think, feel, and behave and our ability to manage everyday situations."

"We all experience feelings of stress, anxiety, and sadness, and most of the time these feelings pass quickly, but for some people, these feelings persist and negatively impact their quality of life," Dr Al Abdulla said.

One of the biggest challenges for those living with mental illness is the stigma associated with it. This stigma often makes it difficult for people experiencing mental health symptoms to seek professional help or even talk about their feelings openly.

This is why the campaign is being run under the theme ‘It’s OK not to be OK’, sending a clear message that mental health issues are very common and not something to be ashamed of, Dr Al Abdullah mentioned.

Chair of the Mental Health Service at HMC, Dr Majid Al Abdulla said that it is important that people understand the potential severity of mental illness.

"Just because the outward symptoms of conditions such as depression and anxiety can go unseen, we must not underestimate the impact they can have on the individual," he said.

"Mental health and physical health should not be thought of as separate. They are often directly linked; physical illness can increase a person’s risk of developing mental illness and, similarly, mental illness can negatively impact physical health." Dr Al Abdulla added.

Qatar National Health Strategy 2018-2022 Lead for Mental Health and Wellbeing and CEO of HMC’s Mental Health Service, Iain Tulley, said, “The launch of this campaign emphasizes the priority that is being given to mental health across the health system and the country. We will continue to work with healthcare partners and other organizations across Qatar to raise the profile of mental health and wellbeing and to promote an environment where mental health is talked about as openly as physical health."

The campaign will run all through October and November and will see a host of events for both the community and healthcare workers.

The first community event under the campaign will take place inside the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) this weekend, Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12.

Staff from mental health teams across the healthcare system will be offering advice and education on mental health issues to the public.

Visitors to the MIA will also be able to take part in the Wheel of Wellbeing activities. These fun and interactive activities will encourage people to think about ways in which they can help improve their mood, reduce the risk of depression, and strengthen relationships.

Earlier this year, the MoPH had announced that it has devised a comprehensive plan to promote mental health and wellbeing and improve access to its related services.

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Source: QNA